<p>Garry232
An appointment is an offer of admission to a service academy.</p>
<p>A nomination is the legal authority for the service academy to offer you an appointment. </p>
<p>You can not receive an appointment without a nomination (the exception is the Coast Guard Academy which does not require a nomination). </p>
<p>There is excellent information on the USMA website about the admissions process and starting young: [USMA</a> Admissions: Home](<a href=“http://admissions.usma.edu/default.cfm]USMA”>http://admissions.usma.edu/default.cfm). If you havent already read everything on the admissions website, I suggest you do.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>